Coroner IDs body of journalist Michael Hastings

June 20, 2013 - 6:50 PM

LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles County coroner's office confirmed Thursday that a body removed from the burned wreckage of a crashed car was that of Michael Mahon Hastings, the journalist whose reporting on U.S. Army Gen. Stanley McChrystal ultimately led to the resignation of the U.S. commander of coalition forces in Afghanistan.

Coroner's Lt. Fred Corral said an autopsy was performed Wednesday but findings on the cause of death were deferred pending the results of toxicology tests expected in eight to 10 weeks.

Hastings, 33, was identified by matching fingerprints to prints the FBI had on file, Corral said.

Hastings' death in an unspecified Los Angeles car accident was announced Tuesday by his employer, the website BuzzFeed, but no details were released.

The car hit a tree around 4:20 a.m. Tuesday and caught fire.

Police Cmdr. Andrew Smith said there did not appear to be any foul play, but investigators were waiting for the coroner's findings.